Through the Glass
by Taelindwyn
Summary: After the revelation of Miranda by the crew of Serenity they think there is no reason to fear further retaliation against River Tam, they are unfortunately very wrong, and perhaps River will face her greatest adversary yet.   Set after Serenity
1. Chapter 1

Through the Glass

She was staring out at the world. It had been so long since she had been allowed outside of this cell. Flashes of memories that she knew were not hers blinded her as scientists bustled about her. She had been forgotten for many long months but now... Now they were interested in her. She didn't know why, she wasn't even sure if she was still alive. She knew she wasn't a girl. She had forgotten how to be a girl. She was what these men made her. What had they made her? Had she had a home? No she did. But it was in her head. She knew that home well, and now they were tampering with her home and she hated them for it. Her home was in her head not out in the world though all she could see of the world was the cold sterile world of the scientist's laboratory just outside her glass cage.

She pressed her hands up hard on the glass that separated her from them, as one came close to look at her she cocked her head to the side, they were going to put her to sleep. She could read that they were going to do it and she wanted to crush him for putting her to sleep so they could stick needles in her brain and make her see things that were not hers. She wanted to see the stars again; it had been so long since she had seen the stars they were pretty even though they were great burning destroyers. The man started to collapse as she imagined a great star burning inside his brain, he was smart his brain was firing as often as a star was fusing atoms so it was easy to imagine. He grabbed his head though and backed away as she stared intently her head moving slightly looking at him curiously.

"Put her to sleep put her to sleep!"  
>"Eto kuram na smekh!"<p>

She dropped with a heavy thud, the scientists outside the cell looked in at her. "River Tam she is not. But she will do." They said as another went to retrieve her so they could run more experiments on her now that she was asleep and could not kill them at least not until she woke up and was back behind the glass in her cell. They had to make sure that she would be ready to face River Tam and make sure to silence her before any more of their secrets were revealed to the worlds.


	2. Chapter 2

She stepped nimbly around dead bodies, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself as she looked at the massacre before her. Why where they showing her this? Did they mean to show her this? Or was this something that she was reading from the minds of one of the scientists? Suddenly something jumped at her from the shadows and her body jerked against the dream forcing herself awake though the drugs threatened to pull her right back under.

"Increase the dosage, she's becoming resistant to the sleeping drugs," came a call and immediately she saw a scientist coming at her with another needle. She sobbed softly.

"I don't want to sleep they won't be quiet!" She cried out but the scientists were not interested in what she had to say. They had another week with her and then she would be sent out to try to bring back their star pupil River Tam. Right now though she was not ready for such a task; she still needed more mental training in order to be of some use against her. After all River Tam as broken far worse than this subject. Subject 2 as they called her though rightly her name was Kira Torel however they preferred Subject 2. River Tam was the only one that they had ever called by her name. Kira they had dehumanized so much that they were needing to retrain her to be able to send her out into the world so that they could keep an operative out with her only to stop her from killing anyone aside from those that were harbouring River Tam.

They had to make it so the operative could trigger her and shut her down from afar since the last operative they had sent had failed miserable and he had not even managed to get near River. It had been a dismal failure and not one that they wanted to repeat again.

Mal yawned as he stared at the instrument panel, it had been a long time since they had had any trouble with Alliance and work was plentiful, though Zoe was still grieving Wash and he had not yet managed to find a new pilot to replace him. He was starting to think that he would not be able to. At least River seemed to be quite capable of flying Serenity. He had been surprised a few times by just how talented the girl was. And since Miranda and the battle of the Reavers she had calmed down a good amount and Simon was having n easier time dealing with the few fits that she had. It seemed as if her darkest secrets had been laid bare for all to see and they were starting to heal now. He flicked the switch to set off an alarm if something went wrong and headed down to the mess. He smirked seeing Kaylee and River sitting at the table doing something when suddenly River turned to him her eyes wide with shock in a look he had not seen in a very long time.

He cursed violently in Chinese and called for Simon as River bolted from the mess towards the infirmary. At least she had the sense to go the right way Mal thought! She slid to a stop searching to see if she could find something.

"They are hurting her! Let her go!" She cried out hitting the glass window of the infirmary even though the room was completely empty of anyone.


	3. Chapter 3

"River. Mei mei, it's alright you are safe." It was the voice of Simon speaking to her as he stood his hands held out in a non threatening gesture.  
>"I know but they are hurting her." She cried and turned to the infermary once more only to realise that she was staring at the infermary of Serenity and nobody was being harmed there. She took two staggering steps back. "They are hurting her."<br>Simon looked at her confused and Kaley stood by Mal talking to him.  
>"Who? Who is being hurt?"<br>"Two."  
>"Two? Two people are being hurt?" Rivers face contorted and she shook her head.<br>"TWO! She is fighting but they are hurting her needles and knives" River put her hand to her head and cried out. "Needles and knives scratch the brain tear the emotions out." At this Simon looked mortified, he had known what they hd done to his sister, they were doing this to the other patients as well? Who was Two? River screamed and fell back landing hard. "Two Two, no Two." River crawled forwards back to the infermary to try to see a person that was not there. Simon went to help her.

"Who is hurting her River? Can we help her?"  
>"Two by two hand of blue." River said clutching at the doorway to the infermary, "Two by two hands of blue, they are driving her." She said her eyes going wide as she looked back to mal and Simon. "She comes to us."<p>

"Now don't take this the wrong way doctor, but is she meaning more of those fellows that were on Arial are coming for us with a lovely little nutter that is crazier than your sister?" Mal asked causing Simon to look at him in shock. Most of the time he was not quite as blunt, or horrible as Jayne but occassionally he had his moments.

"She is coming to kill us because she can't not." River said calmly. Staring at the infermary bed. 


End file.
